I decided to get a new chuck key for my DP and, not knowing any better, went
to the Enco site. Well, I didn't buy my DP or its chuck from Enco so I
can't match any of their letter-sizes to what I have.

What is the normal method for specifying a chuck key size? Isn't it the
diameter of the pilot hole?

TIA
Norm

In article ,
says...

I decided to get a new chuck key for my DP and, not knowing any better, went
to the Enco site. Well, I didn't buy my DP or its chuck from Enco so I
can't match any of their letter-sizes to what I have.

What is the normal method for specifying a chuck key size? Isn't it the
diameter of the pilot hole?


Good luck. They generally get listed by just a part number. Variables are the
pilot size, number of teeth and gear diameter. I have an imported chuck in my
lathe that is fine, but the pilot on the supplied key is a bit undersized, so
it makes it hard to get good torque on the chuck.

I went around at work and tried every chuck key I could find, quite a few, and
nothing fit. Also ran it by the guys at Production Tool (I live nearby). If the
pilot was right, the gears were wrong, and vise versa.

I did a web search and never did find a cross reference chart that listed
anything other than just the part numbers, Jacob vs DeWalt, or whatever. Lemme
know if you find a chart with sizes :-)

Dennis

Good luck. They generally get listed by just a part number. Variables are
the
pilot size, number of teeth and gear diameter. I have an imported chuck in
my
lathe that is fine, but the pilot on the supplied key is a bit undersized,
so
it makes it hard to get good torque on the chuck.

I'm in ths same boat on a real nice chuck for my CNC mill. I bought the four
size in 1 key style. Found the side that most closely matched on the gear
teeth and then installed a bushing to fit the pilot hole.

Karl

On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 14:55:57 GMT, "Norm Dresner" wrote:

I decided to get a new chuck key for my DP and, not knowing any better, went
to the Enco site. Well, I didn't buy my DP or its chuck from Enco so I
can't match any of their letter-sizes to what I have.

What is the normal method for specifying a chuck key size? Isn't it the
diameter of the pilot hole?

TIA
Norm

Chick designers have a huge database of all chuck keys ever made. When they
have to design a new chuck they make sure that none of the existing keys will
fit.

--

Boris Mohar

Chick designers have a huge database of all chuck keys ever made. When they
have to design a new chuck they make sure that none of the existing keys will
fit.

--

Boris Mohar

Hah! They must have been trained by the guys who design oil filters for cars.

Dennis

On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 19:50:11 -0500, Boris Mohar
wrote:

On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 14:55:57 GMT, "Norm Dresner" wrote:

I decided to get a new chuck key for my DP and, not knowing any better, went
to the Enco site. Well, I didn't buy my DP or its chuck from Enco so I
can't match any of their letter-sizes to what I have.

What is the normal method for specifying a chuck key size? Isn't it the
diameter of the pilot hole?

TIA
Norm

Chick designers have a huge database of all chuck keys ever made. When they
have to design a new chuck they make sure that none of the existing keys will
fit.
Last chuck key I bought was from milwaukee. The card it came on had a
cross reference chart on the back.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

In article , Boris Mohar
writes

Chick designers have a huge database

And us guys are grateful for it.

--
Nigel

When the only tools you have are a Bridgeport, a CNC Taig Mill, a Colchester
and assorted other stuff, every problem looks like a steam engine.

Other than my power drill (drill motor) chucks, the chucks I use on my
machines are Jacobs, Rohm or Cushman, and require fairly common
standard keys.
There are keys that are interchangeable between numerous brands, but
any time I see keys at flea or garage sales, I usually get them.

For lathe owners, keys can be modified easily. Many chuck keys have a
removable T-handle pin, then the key body can be chucked in the lathe,
and the pilot pin can be modified/turned down, or removed. Those bent
L-shaped keys could probably be modified with a drill press.
Cut off the pilot pin and drill to fit a hard pin for the size of pilot
needed.
This might be an alternative to modifying the key holes in the chucks,
where the key pinion gear matches, but the pilot is different.

This method can also be used to replace those poor-fitting
auto-ejecting pilots on some keys.

The chuck ring gear/sleeve is somewhat adjustable on some chucks (if
only slightly). If a chuck was previously disassembled, the sleeve may
not have been pressed back to it's original location (changing the
distance from the ring gear to pilot hole).

WB
............

Norm Dresner wrote:
I decided to get a new chuck key for my DP and, not knowing any better, went
to the Enco site. Well, I didn't buy my DP or its chuck from Enco so I
can't match any of their letter-sizes to what I have.

What is the normal method for specifying a chuck key size? Isn't it the
diameter of the pilot hole?

TIA
Norm